Forum Challengescontests - GreenBlackTea
by GreenBlackTea
Summary: Nothing much to say.. But this is a forum challenge/contest for Clan of Fading Shadows Forum! Here is the place where I will be entering all my stories!


The air was cold, it was leaf-bare already! It was too early.

"Goldendash, Bramblestorm, Frostfire, and Emeraldheart! Take a hunting patrol, we need as much prey as possible!" a yowl split through the air during dawn. The sky was a beautiful color, but the color was mostly darkened by the darkest of clouds.

Crowpaw sprang up from her nest, standing in her nest, watching the warriors go to duty. She looked around the den, noticing that all of the apprentices are in the den.

Warming up her paws, she sprang into the cold snow, which was already covering part of the Apprentice Den's entrance. Even though she hated to admit, the snow was cold.

Trying to ignore the tingeing cold, white, and deep snow, she walked towards her deputy, Swanwhisker, the one who have yowled through camp. "Can I go hunting?" Crowpaw asks, looking at her mentor.

The massive and broad she-cat shook her head. "Frogs aren't plenty, Crowpaw. You know it, and besides, Swallowstar won't let any cat other than warriors out of camp. It is just too cold."

Crowpaw's gaze darkened and drooped her head. "But... What use am I then?"

"You are far more useful than you think, Crowpaw." She meowed. "I am certain of that, and as your mentor, I command you not to say that. I want you to have pride in yourself."

Crowpaw raised her head and grumbled to herself, "Always speaking wise words, but none of them is true."

Swanwhisker looked at her, "What did you just say?" she asked, not knowing what Crowpaw have said.

"Nothing." She lied. Swanwhisker lifted her gaze off her.

"Well then, get back to your den and rest. We don't want a sick cat rolling around and getting Green-cough. Soon enough, it will spread and cause the opposite of helping."

Crowpaw bowed her head, "I understand, Swanwhisker." and with that, she turned around and walked on her freezing paws back to the den.

Not as Swanwhisker suggested, an idea came to her head. "If she doesn't know that I'm gone, I should be able to help the clan.. Just to catch one... Measly old frog is enough."

Thinking three times, each with a new perspective, she decided to go. Her paw reached out to wake Vinepaw up, but she shook her head. "I don't want her to worry about me... I shouldn't."

Off with that, she exited the apprentice den, checking if there is any cat outside. Good. It seems that every cat couldn't stand the cold and went back to their dens. With her Shadowclan stalking skills, she managed to sneak across camp through the ever-green ferns. It was quite surprising to see her skills work like this, her pelt is black!

"Brr! So cold! I wonder how a warrior survives out here!" She mumbled to herself. Crowpaw lifted up her muzzle, and scented nothing. She then opened her mouth, and scented something.

She could smell snow... Forests... And... Cats! Instinctively, she jumped into the nearest bush and covered herself with snow. She was freezing now, but still oddly warm.

"Ugh! I can only catch a lame crow! What is this place? A dirt-place where no cat will ever go to?"

"Great Starclan, Birchgrow, you are just so talkative! Now you will definitely scare all of the prey away!"

Crowpaw realized it was Brichgrow and Sunray. They were next arguing about droughts.

Finally, once they left, she sneaked out of the bush, and shook her pelt to get rid of the snow.

She opened her jaws again, taking in all the scents of her surroundings... "Wait.." she paused.

"Is that a blizzard?"

Panicking, she ducked under the bush of her instincts again. "Ugh! Why am I like this? The blizzard won't be that bad.. Will it? Elders' stories doesn't make it seem that bad.." she carefully climbed out of the bush.

"Yea! I can just... Hunt something and get back to camp before the blizzard hits!" she planned, and headed out again.

Walking seemed like many sun-rises, and the sky became darker and darker. It made her heart flicker in fear, but it didn't stop her. "I need to feed my clan!" Pushing herself, she moved forwards. Flakes of snow started to fall.

She caught of whiff of something, and it was a mouse! Thank Starclan! Crowpaw quickly stalked it and killed it. What was it doing outside of the burrow anyway?

With a mouse dangling in her jaws, the snow started to fall heavily. Soon, winds blew against her face, making her look away. "It's nothing.. Just some wind and snow.." she reminded herself.

After a long time, she didn't know where she was... Everything was white, she ran into trees and bushes now and then, but that didn't matter. What matter now is finding home.

Her paw was frozen cold, losing hope to walk. Her paws wobbled with every step. Her vision faded away, dropping her mouse that she have been clinging on for the whole time, and her blood went dark and cold.

"A-am.. I going to die?" she whispered. Her eyelids slowly draped down her eyes, and letting sleep overcome her.

"Sure.. I'm dying anyways. Why won't I sleep peacefully first..?" she thought as she let herself loose to exhaustion.

Nothing overwhelmed her vision for a little while, and after heartbeats, a sharp jab went against her flank. Then, a pausing moment, something grabbed her neck fur.

The nothing surrounded area opened up to snow... "Great Starclan! Is that Crowpaw?" Crowpaw looked up.

"How did she survive? Like, it's been a full night and day!" After that, a paw poked her.

"My dearest sister! You are alive! Where were you? Why are you here?" a familiar pelt... Vinepaw...

Crowpaw started to speak but her larynx tightened and she choked.

"Don't talk! It must have been all the snow... Just.. Keep on there.. We will get you back to camp.." she looked at another cat, who was Brownpaw, watching her intensely.

The cat who was carrying her was Leapardclaw, the cat with a yellow pelt.

"T-Thank you." she managed to choke out.


End file.
